The Public Security Police (PSP) apprehended four women on May 15 in Belém, Lisbon. The women, aged between 19 and 24, are suspected of engaging in pickpocketing.
In a statement released on Monday, the Lisbon Metropolitan Command of the PSP disclosed that the women were intercepted by officers from a team specifically formed to combat pickpocketing.
The suspects, using “cunning, coordinated, and premeditated” tactics, approached a tourist and deftly opened the tourist’s crossbody bag, extracting a wallet containing 70,000 Japanese yen (approximately 425.18 euros at the current exchange rate) and 50 euros in cash before fleeing the scene.
However, they were swiftly caught by the PSP. “The value of the stolen wallet and cash totals 485.18 euros, and these items have been returned to their rightful owner,” the statement reads.
The detainees, who have previous records for similar offenses and have been previously arrested in 2023, 2024, and in April 2025, were brought before the Judicial Authority for an initial judicial hearing and have been notified of a future court date.
